Suspended In Dusk

Album: Bloody Kisses (1993)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is about the regrets a man has after being turned into a vampire. He realizes exactly what he had to give up for the sake of his immortality, the biggest problem being that everyone he loves gets old and withers while he stays forever young (this problem is sometimes solved by turning the loved one into a fellow vampire, but apparently it's not an option for this guy).

    It was written by Type O Negative lead singer Peter Steele, who stood an imposing 6' 8" and was usually seen sneering. Themes of despair and the occult often showed up in his music, which fits nicely into some of the more frightening Halloween playlists.
  • The opening line, "Damn me Father, for I must sin," is a play on the traditional phrase said to start a Catholic confession: "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned." Peter Steele was raised Catholic and often used that imagery in his lyrics, most notably on "Christian Woman," another track on the Bloody Kisses album.
  • This dirge-like song runs 8:37, and most of the lyrics are spoken by Peter Steele. It was left off the original release of Bloody Kisses but included on an alternate version released later in 1993. Steele liked the song, but his bandmates didn't see the appeal. In the liner notes for the 2009 re-release of the album, guitarist Kenny Hickey said: "'Suspended In Dusk' is a really slow, endless, painful song, isn't it? The only way you could sit through that song is if you're playing it. We tried doing it live once, and the audience looked like they wanted to vomit. It was like listening to a seasick elephant for an hour."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Danny Kortchmar

Danny KortchmarSongwriter Interviews

Danny played guitar on Sweet Baby James, Tapestry, and Running On Empty. He also co-wrote many hit songs, including "Dirty Laundry," "Sunset Grill" and "Tender Is The Night."

Randy Newman

Randy NewmanSongwriting Legends

Newman makes it look easy these days, but in this 1974 interview, he reveals the paranoia and pressures that made him yearn for his old 9-5 job.

Loreena McKennitt

Loreena McKennittSongwriter Interviews

The Celtic music maker Loreena McKennitt on finding musical inspiration, the "New Age" label, and working on the movie Tinker Bell.

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular Music

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular MusicSong Writing

Starting in Virginia City, Nevada and rippling out to the Haight-Ashbury, LSD reshaped popular music.

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"They're Playing My Song

It wasn't her biggest hit as a songwriter (that would be "Bette Davis Eyes"), but "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" had a family connection for Jackie.

What Musicians Are Related to Other Musicians?

What Musicians Are Related to Other Musicians?Song Writing

A big list of musical marriages and family relations ranging from the simple to the truly dysfunctional.